Adjustable outboard well



March 5, 1968 F. w. BUTLER 3,371,362

ADJUSTABLE OUTBOARD WELL Filed Jan. 24, 1966 INVENTOR. 7zem 4/. 34/2202.

United States Patent 3,371,362 ADJUSTABLE GUTBOARD WELL Frank W. Eutler, 10354 Vanalden, Northridge, Calif. 91324 Filed Jan. 24, was, Sol. No. 522,616 4 Claims. (Cl. 96)

ABSTRACT GF THE DHSCLOSURE The adjustable outboard well has upright wall means defining a motor wall opening through the bottom wall of the hull and the transom. A bulkhead extends across the compartment forwardly of the motor well and a floor extends between the bulkhead and the wall means of the motor well for collection of water. The floor is above the bottom wall of the hull and slopes toward a drain outlet just above the floor.

This invention relates generally to improvements in boats of the class which are adapted to be propelled by an outboard motor. The invention relates more particularly to a novel outboard motor well construction for boats of this class.

In its broader aspects, the invention provides an outboard motor well construction which may be embodied either in boats of the kind which utilize an outboard motor as their sole propulsion means, i.e., outboard motor boats, or in sailing boats which employ an outboard motor for auxiliary propulsion purposes only. The present motor well construction, however, is intended primarily for boats of this latter kind and, accordingly, will be disclosed in connection with such a boat.

Most sailboats which are designed for auxiliary propulsion by an outboard motor are provided with a motor well adjacent the stern for receiving the outboard motor. In many cases, this motor well is contained in a sepa rate compartment which is isolated from the main interior space of the hull. The auxiliary outboard motor is mounted in the motor well in such a way that the motor projects through the lower end of the well to a position wherein the lower propulsion head of the motor is located below the normal water line of the hull. The well is proportioned to permit rotation of the motor on its steering axis, thus to enable steering of the boat during propulsion thereof by the motor.

The existing auxiliary motor well constructions possess certain deficiencies which this invention seeks to overcome. One of the major deficiencies of the existing motor wells, for example, resides in the fact that these wells open through the underside, only, of the hull. Accordingly, it is impossible to vertically rotate or tilt an outboard motor in such a well, about the horizontal pivot axis of the motor, to a position wherein the motor is elevated above the water line. During sailing, therefore, it is necessary to either leave the motor in position in the well, in which case the motor imposes an undesirable drag on the hull, or to bodily raise the motor out of the well, which is extremely diificult, if not impossible, to accomplish with most present-day outboard motors, Rotation or tilting of the motor to an elevated position above the water line is also desirable, in some cases, to protect the motor against damage during sailing, docking, and/ or overland transportation of a boat on a trailer.

The existing motor well constructions are also deficient in that they lack means for draining or bailing sea water from the motor well compartment. As a result, any sea water which enters the compartment through the motor well or by splashing in collects in the compartment until it is manually or otherwise bailed or drained ice therefrom. This collection of sea water in the compartment is undesirable for the reason that such Water tends to foul the compartment and motor and splashes back and forth in the compartment during rolling motion of the hull. Moreover, many boats have been sunk due to collection of an excessive amount of sea water in the motor well compartment. The problem, just discussed. is aggravated by the fact that sea water tends to be sucked into the motor well compartment, through the motor well opening, during motion of the hull through the water. This entrance of sea water into the compartment through the motor well opening can be greatly reduced, but not entirely eliminated, at least in many existing motor well constructions, by inserting a plug into the well.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved outboard motor well for boats which avoids the above-noted and other deficiencies of the existing motor wells.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor well which permits rotation or tilting of an outboard motor in the well to an elevated position above the water line of the hull, thus to minimize or eliminate the drag force created by the motor on the hull during sailing and/or to protect the motor against damage during sailing, docking, and overland transportation of a boat on a trailer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor well wherein the motor well compartment is self-bailing or draining, whereby collection of sea Water in the compartment is avoided.

A further object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor well which is equipped with a plug for closing the motor well opening when the outboard motor is removed therefrom, and wherein the plug, when installed in the opening, provides the hull with a smooth exterior surface in the region of the opening.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor well which is simple in construction, economical to fabricate, and is otherwise ideally suited to its intended purposes.

Other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become readily evident as the description proceeds.

With these and such other projects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the invention, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a boat hull equipped with an improved outboard motor well construction according to the invention and illustrates an outboard motor mounted in the well;

FIGURE 2 is a rear end elevation of the hull in FIG- URE l with the motor removed;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a plug for closing the motor well opening when the outboard motor is removed therefrom;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section illustrating a drain passage for effecting self-bailing or draining of the motor well compartment; and

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the outboard motor removed from the motor well and the motor well plug installed in the well.

Referring now to these drawings, there is illustrated a boat 10 including a hull 12.'ln accordance with the earlier discussion, the hull 12 has been illustrated as having the shape of the conventional sailboat hull. It

will become evident as the description proceeds, how- 3 ever, that the invention is not limited to usefulness in sailboat hulls. The stern end of the bottom wall 14 of the hull 12 slopes upwardly in the direction of the stern, as shown. Extending across the stern is a transom 16. Boat has a superstructure 18 defining a cabin which is only partially visible in the drawings. The forward end of the hull has been omitted from the drawings for the sake of clarity of illustration of the present invention.

Extending across the hull 12, a short distance forwardly of the transom 16, is a transverse bulkhead 2i). Transom 16 and bulkhead 20 define therebetween a motor well compartment 22 containing an improved outboard motor well 24 proper according to the invention. Extending over the motor well compartment 22 is a deck 26 having an access hatch 28 which may be closed by a removable hatch cover 30.

Referring now particularly to the outboard motor well 24, the latter will be seen to comprise a laterally centered stern opening 32 in the hull 12. This stern opening has a forward end 3201 which opens downwardly through the upwardly sloping bottom wall 14 of the hull and an aft end 32b which opens rearwardly through the transom 16. It is significant to note at this point that the entire stern opening is located above the normal water line 34 of the hull. Joined to the bottom hull wall 14 and transom 16, along the forward and side edges of the stern opening 32, are upright wall means 36 which define the motor Well 24 proper. Wall means 36 rise from the bottom hull wall 14 to a position located well above the water line 34. The upper end of the motor well 24 is located approximately at the same elevation as the upper edge of the rear end 32b of the hull stern opening 32. The motor well opening 38 opens upwardly into the motor well compartment 22.

The motor well wall means 36 comprise a pair of side walls 36a which rise from opposite side edges of the hull stern opening 32 to define opposite sides of the motor well opening 38 and a forward wall 36b which rises from the forward edge of the stern opening to define the forward side of the motor well opening. The upper edges of these walls are located in a common plane transverse to the vertical axis of the motor well opening 38.

Extending across the interior of the motor well compartment 22, below the upper end of the motor Well 24, is a floor 40. This floor is joined about its edges to the walls of the compartment and the motor well 24 and slopes to a low point 40a located adjacent the forward wall 36b of the well. A drain passage 42 extends through the motor well wall 36b and communicates the motor well opening 38 to the motor well compartment 22, just above the floor 40. It is evident, therefore, that any water which enters the motor well compartment will flow to the low point 401: of the floor and then drain to the exterior of the hull through the passage 42. The motor well compartment is thus self-draining or bailing. If desired, a plug 43 may be provided for sealing the drain opening 42, when desired.

In FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a conventional outboard motor 44 having an upper motor housing 46, a motor column 48 which depends below the housing 46, a propulsion head 50 on the lower end of the column 48 mounting a propeller 52, and a hinged mounting bracket 54 for pivotally mounting the motor on a supporting member. Motor 44 is installed in the motor well 24 by attaching the motor mounting bracket 54 to the upper edge of the forward motor well wall 36]). When the motor is thus installed, the upper motor housing 46 is located above the upper end of the motor well, within the motor well compartment 22, and the motor column 48 extends through the motor well opening 38. As shown in FIGURE 1, the motor well 24 is constructed in such a way as to permit the outboard motor 44 to be rotated between its solid line operating position of FIGURE 1, wherein the motor column 48 extends downwardly through the forward end 32a of the hull stern opening 32 and the motor propulsion head 50 is located below the water line 34 of the hull, and its broken line inoperative position of FIGURE 1, wherein the motor column extends rearwardly of the transom 16, above the water line, through the aft end 3211 of the stern opening. Thus, when sailing the boat 10, the outboard motor 44 can be simply rotated or tilted upwardly out of the water to reduce the drag force imposed by the motor on the boat. When it is desirable to propel the boat by the motor, the latter is simply rotated downwardly to its solid line operative position of FIGURE 1. The motor well 24 is proportioned to permit steering rotation of the motor on its normally vertical steering axis, in the usual Way. The means for thus rotating the motor on its steering axis have been omitted from the drawings, for the sake of clarity. The motor 44 is installed in and removed from the motor well 24 through the motor well compartment hatch 28. To this end, the hatch is proportioned to receive the motor therethrough with sufficient clearance to enable the motor to be lowered into and raised from the motor well.

As noted earlier, during motion of the hull 12 through the water, water tends to be sucked up into the motor well compartment 22 through the motor well opening 38. Accordingly, it is desirable to close this opening whenever the motor 44 is not installed in the motor well. To this end, there is provided a plug 56 which is proportioned to fit closely within the motor well opening 38. Along the upper side and forward edges of the plug are shoulders 58 which rest on the upper edges of the motor well walls 36a, 36b to vertically support the plug in the motor well opening. When the plug is installed in the motor well opening, the undersurface of the plug is substantially flush with the undersurface of the hull and the rear surface of the plug is substantially flush with the rear surface of the transom 16, whereby the plug provides the hull with a relatively smooth exterior surface in the region of its stern opening 32. As noted above, the plug 56 is dimensioned to fit closely within the motor well opening 38. Accordingly, the plug inhibits entrance of sea water into the motor well compartment 22 through the well opening. However, it is still possible that some sea water may leak into the compartment through the motor well opening. Also, of course, water may splash into the compartment through the compartment hatch 28. This water is continuously drained from the compartment through the drain passage 42 and thus does not tend to collect in the compartment. As shown in FIGURE 5, the forward side of the motor well plug is cut away to permit water to drain from the compartment even when the plug is installed in the motor well opening.

It is now evident, therefore, that the invention herein described and illustrated is fully capable of attaining the several objects and advantages preliminarily set forth.

While one presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, it is evident that various modifications of the invention are possible within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. A boat adapted to be powered by an outboard motor comprising:

a hull including a stern transom;

an outboard motor well adjacent said transom and having a motor well opening which opens downwardly through the bottom wall of said hull and rearwardly through said transom;

said motor well comprising upright wall means extending from said bottom wall and transom around said motor well opening and providing an open top through which said outboard motor can be inserted; said outboard motor being mounted on said wall means for vertical rotation of said motor about its normally horizontal hinging axis between an upright operating position, wherein the motor extends downwardly through said well and below the normal Water line said plug having shoulder means extending outwardly of said hull, and an elevated inoperative position, from its top for engaging the upper edge of said wall wherein the motor extends rearwardly of said transom means to support said plug in said motor Well; and above said water line; said plug having a lower end disposed substantially flush a transverse bulkhead extending across said hull for- 5 with the outer surfaces of said hull and transom about wardly of said motor well and defining with said said well opening. transom a motor well compartment containing said 4. A boat according to claim 3 wherein said drain motor well; opening is in said wall means; and a floor extending across said compartment above said a drain passage in said plug located opposite said drain bottom Wall of said hull and perimetrically sealed opening for permitting water to drain from said comat its edges to the wall of said compartment and to partment while said plug is installed in said opening. said wall means of said motor Well above said bottom Wall; and References Cited a drain opening to said compartment just above said UNITED STATES PATENTS floor through which water may drain from said compartment to the exterior of said hull, said floor slop- Pouhot 115 17 ing to a low point adjacent said drain opening, Where- Seaman 11517 by said compartment is self-bailing. 2. A boat according to claim 8 in which said drain OTHER REFERENCES opening is in said Wall means and said floor slopes toward Valtses, Outboard Comes Inboard, in said wall means to drain said compartment. The Rudder, J 3' P- 3. A boat as defined in claim 1 including:

a removable plug substantially filling and closely fitting MILTON BUCHLER: Examine"- said motor well opening to inhibit entrance of sea R A DORNON, Assistant Examiner water into said compartment when said outboard motor is removed therefrom; 

